Loud Pipes
by Poisoned Scarlet
Summary: AU. Psychologist Yumi Azusa would have never thought that her patients hallucinations were no hallucinations at all. They were horrifyingly real, and one of them has Soul Evans now.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Soul Eater nor the song Loud Pipes by Ratatat.

**Loud Pipes  
>by. <strong>_Poisoned Scarlett_

"Maka," she began, soothingly. "We needed _five men_ to restrain you. You almost hurt one of them. Can you tell me why you wanted to leave so urgently?"

She was a svelte thing with wide emerald eyes that shone with the last rays of the sun. Behind the loose white clothing laid layers of muscle; enough strength to fend off three orderly's like they were pillows. Yet she sat on her bed with her knees drawn up to her chest insecurely; her fingers steeped into her knee; the sheets barely creasing with her weight. Her ashy blonde hair was loose from her struggle a few hours ago. Yumi Azusa had offered to tie it back into their usual pigtails but she had shook her head against it. This concerned Yumi – Maka had told her during one of their sessions that the significance of her pigtails ran deep. The habit stemmed from a burning desire for her mother and, in tying her hair up in twin pigtails, it helped bury the intrinsic yearn for a missing parent.

"He _needs_ help, miss Azusa," Maka repeated, looking at her with those wounded emerald eyes of hers. Yumi always felt swayed by them, something that was not professional at all. She should not be swayed by simple things as _glances_.

"Call me Yumi, Maka, there's no need for such formalities," Yumi Azusa politely corrected. "And why does he need help? Is he in trouble?"

She hesitated and looked back out of her barred, curtain-less, window. The latches drilled into the sill were locked tight. She could still see the sun that bled colors of mauve against the skyline as it descended. She was quickly running out of time. "Yumi, I know this sounds crazy. I know you think I'm insane, that I'm not able to rationalize correctly, but please just listen to me this once: he's in trouble. I know he is. I _saw_ it!"

"You saw it?"

"I know what I'm looking for so I can see _them_. They like to disguise themselves from mortal sight but once you've seen one, the rest become easier to see with time." Maka fumbled with the hem of her white shirt then fisted her hand. When she looked up, her eyes flamed with that familiar stubbornness she was renowned for. "It took Soul! I saw it from my window – he was coming to see me and it took him because it smelled his sou -!"

"Ah, wait! Let's backtrack a little, Maka!" Yumi straightened in her seat, fixing her glasses on the bridge of her nose. "Who is this 'it'?"

Maka exhaled noisily. "Miss Azusa, there isn't any _time_ to talk! I need to save him! It's going to _hurt_ him, don't you understand?" Maka released her knees from her chest and stood up, desperation straining her face. "Please, please let me out! Just for an hour – I just need an _hour!_"

"Maka, calm down!" Yumi stood up and placed her clipboard on her seat. She held a peaceful hand out to her patient. "Relax. Don't be rash now, there is nothing wrong with Soul. Soul is fine. He's home. He's safe, Maka."

"No, he's not!"

"Yes, he is. We've made sure."

Maka stilled, boring her eyes into hers unnervingly. "How."

"We called him and he said—!"

"You're lying."

Yumi looked at her over the top of her glasses sharply. "I can assure you, I'm _not_ lying, Maka. We called him and we've ensured his safety. He is _fine!_"

"Then why didn't he ask to talk to me? If you told him about my situation, he would have asked to speak to me! He would have and you know it, too, Yumi! You of all people should know! You're lying and the longer you keep me here, the more chance there is that he's getting his _soul_—!" Maka broke off, clutching her sweats to hold back a swell of blind panic.

"His soul?" Yumi instantly understood. Her tone was soothing as she said, "Maka, there's no such thing as demons. You were hallucinating that day, remember? The medication keeps the visions under control, we went over this—"

"I KNOW!" Maka screamed, her eyes darkening. "I _know_, Yumi, I know what the medication does and it hasn't helped! If these are so-called 'hallucinations', then you have better give me a higher dosage because they've only gotten worse! But that's impossible, because you _can't _give me a higher dose, which leads me to believe that they are real. They _are _real!" Maka fiercely shouted, "and one of them took Soul and if I don't stop it it's going to kill him—!"

"There is no such thing!" Yumi snapped. She closed her eyes, took a breath, and when she opened them again, her face regained that pleasantness from before. "Maka. Soul is _fine_. These demons—!"

"Kishin's!"

"….Demons," Yumi smiled, tightly. "They do not _exist_. They are a figment of your imagination. You made them up. Maka, please don't make this any harder than it already is—!"

"No, they're real! And Soul's in trouble! If I had taken care of it before…" Her voice cracked before it steeled over again. "I led it to him because it knows who I am and now it's going to kill him! It can smell _me _on him and it's not going to stop until it sees me dead!"

Yumi walked to the door and knocked on it a two times, shaking her head at the orderly who stood guard through the square window. He nodded and began to shuffle out a sedative for Maka. "What you saw – it was because you refused to take your medication again. Remember we had a talk about this, too? If you take your medication, they go away."

"No, they don't. They _won't ever _go away_,_" Maka whispered, harshly. She took a deep breath and when she looked at Yumi, her eyes welled with unshed tears. She almost looked sincere. She really, truly, believed in these visions. Yumi pitied her. "Please…please, I have to save Soul. _Please_…"

The orderly walked in bearing a caring smile, hiding the syringe behind his back, before Yumi could respond. The psychologist stepped towards the wall as another orderly came in and she watched with troubled eyes as Maka was strapped onto the bed again kicking and screaming for Soul. Her voice cracked with desperation and Yumi needed to turn away from the scene. She walked out into the hall and shut the door behind her, blocking out Maka's hysteric cries, before she slumped against the wall. She rubbed her eyes out. This job could sometimes drain her unlike anything else.

"That bad?"

"Oh, Stein!" Yumi straightened upon the appearance of her superior. "Good evening. What brings you to this part of the hospital?"

Stein glanced through the tiny window on the door, watching Maka succumb to the drugs. "He isn't answering."

"Ah, you mean Soul? Well, maybe he's busy!"

"Perhaps," Stein murmured. "What did she tell you?"

Yumi sighed. "It's the same story only now it has to do with Soul! I honestly thought he was a good influence on her but she's only involved him in her delusions! She insists he's in grave danger and that only she can save him. She says if she doesn't, these so-called Kishin's will hurt him – specifically, take his soul. Her delusions, they've gotten progressively worse, Stein. The medication doesn't seem to have any effect on her, we've changed it more than thrice and _nothing_ has worked! I haven't even noted a marginal change in her behavior, it doesn't add up..." Yumi trailed off, frustrated.

Stein spoke after a pause. "You're implying she isn't taking her medication."

"She _isn't_, of course, what _else_ would explain why her delusions have become _worse_ during her stay?" Yumi sputtered. When Stein didn't reply, she pursed her lips. "Do you have a theory, Stein? I'd like to hear it if you do!" She demanded, crossly.

"…Outside," Stein reached into his pocket and pulled out a weathered black wallet. He let it fall open, revealing the ID of a handsome but cocky-looking young man with stark white hair and glaring garnet eyes. "I found this on the steps earlier."

Yumi stared at the ID, feeling her heart pick up. "What about it? He could've simply dropped it when he came in yesterday. He's _always_ losing things – his keys or - or even his _wallet!_ How many times has he lost that around these parts?"

"There was nothing on those steps yesterday. The janitors sweep every day. They would have found it and brought it in; he's quite friendly with the staff from what I've seen." Stein returned the wallet to his pocket and finally tore his eyes away from Maka's door. "He was here earlier but he never entered, which strikes me as strange for a variety of reasons. He always comes to visit Maka; he has never faltered and I see no reason for him to start now. Every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday until visiting hours are over he's here. It's been this way for the past three months, Azusa. Today is Sunday. He is five hours overdue."

Yumi swallowed. "What are you proposing, Stein?"

Stein smiled unnervingly, the glare of his glasses hiding his knowing eyes. "I just find it strange, that's all. But you're probably right – he must have lost his wallet, that fool. Here!" Stein tossed her the wallet and Yumi scrambled to catch it. "You're free for the day. I'll be in my office if you need me. Ta-ta!" And he left whistling, hands in the pockets of his lab coat like always.

"That moron," Yumi scoffed, acerbically. She glanced down at the black wallet with troubled eyes. "What am I thinking? This is ridiculous! He's just fine!" She briskly shoved the wallet into her blazers pocket, marching down the hall to the nearest lounge. "Just _fine!_"

* * *

><p>"Soul!" Yumi peered through the peep hole on the door and pressed her lips together when she couldn't see anything. He had to be in there somewhere, most likely sleeping. He was infamous at the hospital for being able to <em>sleep<em> just about anywhere. "Soul, wake up! It's me, Doctor Azusa! It's about Maka!" She knocked harder but no one answered. After a few seconds of standing by the door, Yumi reached in her pocket and pulled out his wallet. She skimmed through a few scrapes of paper she found inside until she came across a number scrawled on a piece of worn yellow paper, the name _Patty _scratched onto it. "Hmm...well, there's no helping it."

She punched the number in her phone and waited for someone to pick up, tapping her foot impatiently. She tried to ignore the nauseous feelings of dread in her gut. Things weren't adding up, she couldn't deny that. What if something _had _happened to him and what Maka had seen, while not necessarily a demon, was true? Soul didn't strike her as the type to be easily overpowered (God knew he flaunted his built arms and hard abdomen whenever that moron could) but he wasn't invincible and anyone could be caught off-guard.

Yumi shook her head of these poisonous thoughts. She refused to believe anything other than her own truth. Soul was _fine_ and she would make sure of it – even if the little shit got on her nerves half the time.

"_Hiiiii! Who's this?"_

Yumi cleared her throat. "Hello, you must be Patty. My name is Yumi Azusa, I'm a psychologist at—!"

"_Oh! We don't want any, miss, but thanks for calling! Bai-baiiiii!"_

"Ah! No, wait! Wait!" Yumi scrambled, sighing in relief when the girl on the other line hummed curiously. "I was just wondering if you have seen Soul recently? I am assuming you are an acquaintance of his?"

"_Ohhh! Teehee, I'm not dating him if that's what you mean! He already has a girlfriend and he thinks cheating isn't cool so—!"_

Yumi brightened. "His girlfriend! Great, just great! May I have her number, if you will?"

"_Ehhh, how come? Who are you?"_

"I work…as a doctor, Patty. I'm a doctor and I need to speak to him immediately!"

"_Hmmm, okay, but I dunno' how it's gonna' help! Here ya' go anyway!"_ Yumi listened intently as Patty rattled off a number but confusion knit her brows once she finished.

"Patty…that's the number for Patchwork Hospital."

"_Uh, yeah! I know! That's where his girlfriend's at!_"

"Um, _oh!_ I see! She's been in an accident recently?" Yumi laughed, tightly. She didn't want to believe anything else; she prayed she was wrong. "That's why he can't see Maka, because he's visiting his—!"

Patty laughed hysterically on the other line. Yumi felt her stomach plummet even before she spoke. "_Silly goose! Maka IS his girlfriend! Hyahaha! Eh, wait, how do you know about Maka? Helloooo?"_

"…Thank you, Patty. It was an, ah, pleasure to speak with you." Yumi hung up before Patty could even finish her sentence. She wet her lips anxiously, slipping her phone back in her pocket. She closed the wallet and pressed it tightly to her pounding heart. This was quickly spiraling out of control and if she didn't find Soul soon, she would be forced to take drastic measures.

Yumi briskly made her way back to her car, rounding the front to get to the drivers side. She had no other leads to go on except that one number in his wallet and so far it'd only made things worse. She squeezed the steering wheel tightly and thought harder. She needed to calm down, she was panicking. If she panicked, she would commit mistakes; possibly deadly mistakes. As Stein had pointed out, Soul was much overdue for his visit. He faithfully visited Maka whenever he could; sometimes he even surprised them and came to spend his lunch break with Maka. Yumi had allowed the visits because they calmed Maka's anxiety and she always responded better to their sessions after his visits. She was the most receptive and relatively _sane _during and after Soul visited. Yumi believed it was therapeutic for her to talk to Soul, as Maka hardly got along with the others. Then again, she spent much of her free time _reading_ instead of socializing...

"Stein? Has Soul arrived yet?" Yumi cursed at his flippant _no_ and hung up without another word. She gnawed on her bottom lip before she turned on her car and shifted into drive. She couldn't think straight; all she was thinking about was homicide and Maka's tortured eyes when she broke the news. Maka was a smart girl; she'd connect the dots. But it didn't _have_ to end in tragedy - it could be that he was just out of town! Yumi deflated instantly - _why_ would Soul go out of town without telling anyone? There was only two solutions she trusted at this point: one was possible kidnap, the other led inevitably to murder. But who would want to murder Soul Evans?

_A lot of people, _Yumi dryly thought. That haughty boy, with his sharp grin and tongue to match. Never mind he _knew_ he was handsome and often liked to say it aloud, but his sarcastic and caustic attitude toward things only made matters worse. Yumi wouldn't be surprised if he pissed off more than a few people in his twenty two years of life.

"Shit!" She squeezed the steering wheel when she hit a red light. She brushed off those surly thoughts and focused on where Soul worked – at a studio? A restaurant? _Where_ had he said he worked at again? Yumi knew she should have paid more attention when Stein asked. _Stein!_ "Stein! It's me again, where did Soul say he worked at? DC Records – got it! Thank you!" She hung up and switched lanes, deciding breaking a few traffic rules would be worth it when she found Soul safe and sound.

But she didn't find him.

He hadn't checked in since Friday, one of his usual work days.

Her heart was pounding hard by this time. She could feel blood rush to her ears; drown out everything until it was just white noise. No one had seen or heard of Soul Evans all day, which was virtually impossible. There had to be someone who saw him. There had to be _someone_ – !

_There's Maka, _Yumi thought but shot the thought down immediately. _No, no. She's asleep right now – and even then, she'll only say he was abducted by the demons! Dammit, where is that good-for-nothing slacker? _Yumi saw a flash of orange from the corner of her eye when she pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. When she looked, her heart quite literally stopped.

She braked, hard, and lunged forward with the force. Her breaths came out ragged. She undid her seat-belt hastily and crawled out of the car, gripping the side of the door; her panic made it hard to think. She ran to the lone motorcycle, the ostentatious thing Soul prized above anything else, parked in its usual space. She ran her fingers over the handlebars, the cold metal, and took out her phone again.

"Stein. Has Soul arrived?"

"_No, not yet. You sound odd – are you okay, Yumi?_"

"His motorcycle – it's parked outside but…" Yumi looked around but found the grounds bare of anyone. He wouldn't just_ leave_ his bike out in the open like that if he weren't nearby. But there was no where else to go; there was pure _forest_ surrounding them! There was absolutely no way he would be able to go anywhere else but the hospital – and even if he, for some damned reason, wanted to go to town on foot, it would be a two mile walk. The bike appeared to be in impeccable condition, as expected: Soul Evans treasured his motorcycle and he performed maintenance on it every month upon Maka's insistence. There would be no reason for him to walk back to town when his motorcycle was in excellent condition. He wouldn't be able to do much of anything _but_ visit Maka…

Yumi turned back to the hospital, her eyes darting to the third floor window.

Maka stood there, her hand pressed against the glass.

Her eyes reflected Yumi's turmoil.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **If anyone can tell me from what TV series I got this idea from ( I've dropped obvious hints but they're in the next two chapters...), you can request a story from me! :D

LACROW. YOU DON'T COUNT, OKAY? YOU DON'T. Why? Cuz I've been fangirling to you too much, so you of all people should know by now XD

_Scarlett._


	2. Chapter 2

**Loud Pipes  
>by. <strong>_Poisoned Scarlett_

This was, simply put, insanity. It took her a few hours to reach this decision but Yumi was starting to have second thoughts. She had run out of options, true, but there was no need to resort to this. She should have just contacted the police and let them handle it. Perhaps she had lost her mind somewhere between searching for Soul and speaking to Maka because, as Maka changed into her jeans and t-shirt, worrying about them being a little too tight on her, Yumi questioned her own sanity at actually _allowing_ someone as delusional and dangerous as Maka Albarn to search for her apparent lover Soul Evans.

"Let me get this straight... Soul is in the forest somewhere. Like in a cave of some sort?"

"Yes."

"And he is being held captive against his will by a...?"

"Kishin."

"Right. Of course," Yumi cleared her throat. She couldn't believe she was doing this. It was obvious the girl was in desperate need of a good therapy session! "And this Kishin... it eats humans?"

"Not necessarily. You see, there are different breeds of Kishin's. Some were once human, and others were not. This particular one _was_ human once: meaning it underwent a transformation. As a result, it has an insatiable craving for human flesh. But, aside from that, it craves human _souls_ – particularly uncorrupted human souls. The cause of transformation into a Kishin of this kind involves the consumption of human flesh, sometimes bones, followed by swallowing the soul whole. Eat enough of them and you're practically granted to undergo the change."

"That's incredibly stupid – why would someone resort to _cannibalism_ and…swallow the soul? What for?"

"Power. The lure of becoming a Kishin is the power you gain as you change. At first, the consumption of souls improves your health. You gain abnormal strength, sight, smell, hearing," Maka finished clasping her boots on. Yumi glanced behind her, to the door of Maka's room, nervously. But no one came to check on them, not a single orderly or wandering doctor. "You're able to work for longer periods, especially if your job is laborious. You feel better than you've ever felt in your life. At that point, it's nearly impossible to be hurt. You feel invincible. That is, until you pass the beginning stages. Then the cravings set in and your body begins to lose its shape. You start to_ transform_," Maka patted the pockets of her old jeans, the ones she had come in when she had been checked-in by one concerned Ox Ford. She would need to punch him for that when she saw him again. If he hadn't turned her in because he was concerned for her mental health when he heard her discussing these things over the phone with Soul, she would have already finished off the Kishin and Soul would be half-way across the country! "Then you begin to lose your humanity, delving into a sort of savage madness. It's an overwhelming, insatiable, desire for human souls. The flesh part of the deal isn't important anymore – it's only the soul. You lose your consciousness, whatever part made you human, and you become a soul-eating monster: a _Kishin_."

Yumi stared, wondering if this was all some sort of sick joke Stein set up for all those times she reprimanded him. She took a breath instead. "Alright. Alright, say these Kishin's _do_ exist! Is there anyway we can reverse the change? Some way we can bring them _back_ from their apparent madness?"

"No. All of those human souls cannot be taken back once they've been consumed. They've had their energy absorbed; they exist nowhere. They're _gone_. Once you reach that point, there is no going back. These people, they're not human anymore. They've sacrificed their humanity for something worse." Maka looked at Yumi solemnly, gravely. "They're monsters now." She then opened the door to her ward and stepped out.

"Wait, we're leaving now?"

"Yes, it's already nightfall. I need to go to his apartment and pick up a few things before we search for him. We'll wait until sunrise to start our search."

"Sunrise? Why – why sunrise?"

"If this thing is hard enough to take down during the day, it'll be near-impossible to kill during the night! They're at an advantage right now and with the weapon I use, I can't risk a mistake." Maka gestured for Yumi to follow and she did, forcing herself not to think about all the rules she was breaking. She was aiding a patient escape! What had gotten into her? But before Yumi could speak, Maka grabbed her hand and pulled her along the hall down to one of the exits. They managed to dodge past Stein's office without a sound, save for Yumi's quiet whimpers here and there.

"Maka, I think this was a mistake—!"

"Regardless, I'm not going back." Maka's grip on Yumi's hand tightened and Yumi suddenly knew this was a bad idea. "I'm _going_ to find Soul one way or another, with or without your help. That idiot wouldn't be able to kill it even if he tried – he's not trained for these Kishin's. He's worked along the east coast too much, these sorts of Kishin's are a new breed for him! They work differently. They're definitely _smarter_ than the ones he's killed before…" Maka muttered, annoyed.

"E-east coast? You mean there's _more?_ Maka, wait, stop! This! _All of this!_ This is insane! You're delusional—!"

"Is that your car, miss Azusa?"

"What—yes?"

"Give me your keys."

"No. No, Maka. Come with me, we're going back inside. I'm sorry, this was a terrible idea from the start and Stein would be appalled to know that I let you go—AH! MY KEYS – no, wait, give those back! _Maka!"_ Yumi gaped after Maka as she ran to her car, throwing the drivers door open and slipping inside without another word at her. "Wait! Don't leave me behind – _that's my car, young lady!"_

"Then hurry up! I'm running out of time!" Maka checked the time on the dashboard and cursed. It was already four in the morning. The sun would rise soon and Maka wanted to reach Soul while his soul was still inside his body. These Kishin's had a tendency to save their meals for the next day, next week even. With any luck, Soul would just be tied up somewhere in its lair until it grew hungry again. Which, all things considering, would _not_ be long. Maka hadn't read about any recent kidnappings or murders, a definite bad sign for her companion. Hopefully Soul would hold up until she reached him.

"If you're _wrong_—!" Yumi began, furiously.

Maka pulled out of the parking lot and floored it. "I'm not."

* * *

><p>Maka could drive decently despite being holed up in the hospital for the past few months; with only her books to keep her company, and Soul when he dropped by. Although she gave Yumi a few mini-heart attacks every time she made a sharp turn, they arrived at Soul's apartment with little incident. But now there was another problem...<p>

"_How_ are we going to get inside?" Yumi questioned, watching Maka try the knob on Soul's apartment door. Maka reached for the chain around her neck, holding out a single silver key. "That key - _he_ gave it to you? You said your mother gave you that!" She accused, as it had been the only reason Maka was allowed to keep it on her person in the ward.

"Sorry, miss Azusa," Maka apologized, guilty. "He thought I was going to break out eventually so he said it would be a good idea to give me a key to his apartment just in case I needed a place to stay. I wasn't going to leave the hospital, of course. This is a small town. Word of my escape would spread like wildfire and it wouldn't be long after that before someone knew where I was hiding and they informed Doctor Stein of my whereabouts. I wanted to avoid all that trouble, but maybe I should have gone through it after all..." Maka opened the door to his apartment and crossed through the relatively clean living room to his bedroom, where she knew their weapons were kept. "All of this could have been avoided if I did."

"What are we doing here, exactly?" Yumi poked a stray sock on the hall floor with her heel. "Maka?"

"Picking up some necessary equipment."

Yumi wondered over to Maka when she got down on her knees and reached under Soul's unkempt bed. The sight that greeted her both amazed and horrified her.

"What _is_ all of this?" Yumi awed, staring at the weapon arsenal kept under Soul's bed. A variety of weapons were kept in their own cases: they ranged from shotguns to curved sickle blades, their razor edges glinting under the awakening light of the sun that poured through the windows. She had never seen so many weapons in her life; such a wild variety of knives and daggers and pouches of things Yumi _really_ hoped were legal...

"His arsenal. That moron," Maka shook her head, smiling softly. "He doesn't even _use_ half of this! It's all for show, he thinks it's cool." Maka continued to dig under his bed, her eyes shining when her fingers bumped into a familiar wood casing. She pulled out a very long box, about seven feet in width and bearing no other sign as to what laid inside. However, when Maka pulled it open, Yumi felt her stomach drop to her ankles. If that boys collection of guns and knives was unsettling, this was absolutely horrifying.

"I…that…is that a _scythe_?"

"Yep! I had him hand-crafted by a good friend of mine!" She beamed, oblivious to Yumi's nausea. "It's unlike your traditional scythe, everything about him is customized! I had the shaft made out of a special type of metal in order to prevent breakage—!"

"That – that can't be legal! There is absolutely _no way_ you can wield something of that magnitude! _It's twice your size!_" She shrieked.

Maka frowned as she pulled out her scythe, marveling the familiar weight of it. It had certainly been too long since she last wielded her scythe, having been kept under tight security in that loony bin. Soul, as he promised, kept her scythe in top condition. She would even swear he had recently gave it a little polishing, as the tip of the curved blade glinted without being told to. If he had, perhaps she'd forgive for going out and getting himself caught like this.

"I assure you, miss Azusa, that I am proficient in wielding a scythe. I had a good teacher," Maka briskly said. She grabbed one of the shotguns and picked up a box of ammunition while she was at it. Although she was reluctant to use something as noisy as a gun, she did not know what to expect from this Kishin. Without a doubt, it would be far more powerful than the others she had faced before. After all, it had had _more_ than enough time to gather souls while she had been kept under surveillance at the hospital. "It's time. I know where it is – I can sense it."

"Sense? Wha...?"

"Let's go!"

Yumi rubbed the bridge of her nose but she trudged after Maka. Kishin's, souls, now she could _sense_ these things? Yumi didn't know what to believe anymore. As Maka carefully brought the scythe out into the hall, hurrying down the stairs to the car before anyone could spot her, Yumi once more contemplated the validity of her arguments. If she were telling the truth, that meant they were about to barrel head-first into utmost danger with a giant _scythe_ and a _shotgun_...

"Be careful with the seats! I just got them refurbished a month ago!"

"Don't worry! I'll be extra-careful!"

"Thank you," Yumi sighed, exhausted. She could use a cup of coffee and a couple of hours of sweet, sweet sleep. "Where are we going again?"

"You mean me," Maka shut the door to the trunk and set her hands on her hips. When she looked up, her expression left no room for argument. "You're not coming with me. It's too dangerous. You should stay here at the apartment until I come back."

"Excuse me?" Yumi sputtered, furiously. "No! As your primary doctor, I am _liable_—!"

"After this, I'm expecting a clean check-out from that place," Maka coldly stated. Yumi hardened her eyes. "I am not mad, I'm not insane. I'm possibly the sanest person you know and you should be more grateful for the work I do around here!"

"Work you do –? You were a _waitress_ in a _bar_ before you were committed!"

"I _work _as a hunter!" Maka snapped. "The job as a waitress is a cover, and my primary income for the matter. I don't get paid for being a hunter, not around these parts, but Death City is a hot spot for these things. I can't afford to leave. Kishin's come from all over the place to settle here and I have made it my duty to keep them at bay and protect the citizens from this town!"

"_Preposterous_—!"

"Whether you believe me or not is not my problem," Maka flatly said. "Right now, I have to go save Soul." She rounded the front of the car and opened the door to the drivers seat, ignoring Yumi's gawking at her audacity. She was only partially surprised when Yumi ripped the door to the passenger seat open and seated herself inside with a stubborn cross of her arms.

"I'm coming with you."

Maka stared at her for a moment then gunned the car to life. "Okay but stay behind me at all times – I don't know what to expect from this Kishin."

"Don't you _hunt_ them?" Yumi taunted. "Surely you have _experience_?"

"This one has had time to grow. It's different now," Maka grimly answered, and they didn't speak while Maka drove them to the location she knew Soul was being kept at.

* * *

><p>He felt like utter shit.<p>

He wouldn't lie: it was a pretty shitty move on the Kishin's part. Then again, Kishin's were chock-full of shitty moves; he would know, as he'd been outsmarted by them a few times during his early years as a hunter. But, at his age, he almost felt embarrassed by how easily he had been snatched off the steps of the hospital. He hadn't even had time to stash his wallet in his pocket before he was being whisked away by this ugly thing, which was now staring at him from across the room. It had been _staring_ at him for the past few hours now and it was really starting to bug Soul.

He fingered the chain that hung him from the ceiling and clamped his jaw shut to withhold a growl. His arms felt numb and his joints screamed with pain every time he moved. He had been knocked out for the majority of the trip but, wherever he was, he was royally screwed if he didn't think of an escape plan fast.

"What're you starin' at?" Soul sneered. "If you're gonna' eat me, then do it, you ugly fuck!"

The Kishin snarled lowly, baring its teeth at him. It was a gaunt thing, with desiccated ash gray skin pulled taut over its stretched-out, bony, frame. It's glaring yellow eyes were pushed into its sockets and what lips it had were tattered and bloody and pulled back along sharp spikes of needle teeth. It's tongue lashed out to lick its raw lips and Soul grimaced when it started to gnaw on its fingers again. It seemed to be some sort of anxious habit it had and Soul had reason to believe it did it _often_, given the bloody and shredded skin around the tips of its dirty fingers. Not to mention the chipped nails that...it was starting to _eat_ now.

"Dude, that's gross."

The Kishin licked the blood off its hands, its black eyes sparkling brighter with bloodlust. Perhaps not the best comment Soul could have made so he started over:

"So, this what you do for fun 'round these parts?" He just watched dryly as the Kishin gnawed on its fingers faster, slurping up the blood that fell down its arms. "Fuck me, you're not even playing the part right…" He sighed, tiredly. "The hell you waiting for..." He dared to move and hissed when his muscles ached in protest, the chains rattling. The Kishin hissed like an enraged cat, a warning for him to stay still or else.

Maka, she was truly his only shot at getting out of this alive. Unfortunately for him, she was interned at the hospital. But surely she'd know something was wrong when he didn't arrive like he usually did? Then again, he got her locked up in that place in the first place. He wouldn't be surprised if she just left him here, with this big ugly thing, for being a total jackass this entire time. He could have treated her a lot better than he generally did. He wasn't quite sure himself why she persisted with him, though; he would have given up on _himself_ a long time ago if handed the task.

Soul knew he wasn't easy to deal with: it was why his relationships went to hell and he hardly had friends. Then again, in this grim job, friends were a liability. He supposed relationships were, too, especially since you'd be hiding almost _everything_ from your partner. He guessed he hadn't missed out on much; women were overrated, anyway. Except Maka, she was special; very special. He had first met Maka when he caught wind of this small Nevada town, appropriately dubbed Death City. To his pleasant surprise, he had caught Maka in the middle of heated battle against one of those ghouls and had been impressed by her moves. He hadn't seen anyone move like that since Black Star, which was saying something. Black Star was infamous around Japan for his unorthodox fighting methods and, of course, loud mouth and huge ego. If the Nakatsukasa clan hadn't taken him in at the tender age of ten, _someone_ would've shot his mouth off his face by now...

They had gotten off to a rocky start, he and Maka. Perhaps because he had absolutely no filter and he had a penchant for picking fights or because of plain old bad luck. But he figured it was because he had mentioned her boobs, her _undersized_ boobs. They were undersized compared to the women back in New York, anyway. But the comment hadn't sat well with her and he'd gotten his first taste of pure hunter-strength when she punched him.

Then she got thrown into the padded room – _technically_ his fault, as she had been bitching at him to go back to where he came from because he wouldn't be able to handle _these_ types of Kishin. Although he had proved himself to her when they fought alongside a few times, she didn't trust him with this particular monster. She, herself, had been hunting him down for a good two weeks before Soul arrived.

But it was good riddance until he realized he needed her more than he wanted to admit. She knew the territory like the back of her hand, she knew the habits of the Kishin's that lurked around Death City, and she had the proper weapons and strategies to dispose of them. She also had that handy, overdeveloped, skill of hers: being able to sense them when they were nearby. He'd only heard a few people being sensitive to their presence but Maka's sensitivity was off the charts. Just his luck.

She was practically his ticket to getting rid of this monster which had been prowling the streets during the darkest hours of the night; searching for a few souls to harvest. So Soul had done what he always did when he needed something: he donned a disguise. Two days later he was aspiring musician Soul Evans, Maka's loving and absolutely _normal_ boyfriend slash future fiancée. That Doctor Stein had bought the act, Yumi Azusa was only an obstacle when he wanted to meet with Maka. And Maka? Well, she didn't need to know. Ever.

Soul looked up through the fringes of his hair when the Kishin suddenly moved, its nostrils flaring. It stood up at full-height, a growl ripping its throat as it sniffed the air. Its caved in stomach reminded Soul of his own neglected one and the hunger pains came back. If he managed to undo the chains the Kishin had wrapped him in, the first place he would hit would be a burger joint. Then he would go check on Maka, maybe sneak in some fries and a strawberry milkshake to appease her wrath at his own carelessness. Maybe beg a bit; Maka was terrifying when she was pissed. Then Soul frowned, not liking how he bent to her will so easily. That was another thing about Maka: she made him do things no one else had ever succeeded in making him do. That unnerving power she had over him... it couldn't be good, that's for sure.

"_OH GOD WHAT IS THAT THING?"_

Soul started at the shriek, stilling a groan afterwards when his exhausted body protested against it. _Wait a sec, I recognize that voice…Maka's therapist?_

"Yumi – get back, it spotted you! Get behind me _now!_"

"_OH MY GOD IT'S MOVING! MAKA, IT'S MOVING – !_"

"I _know_ it's moving but if _you_ don't move then it's going to come after you!"

"Maka?" Soul hoarsely called, finding some strength to pull himself up at the mention of her name. He was met with one worried Maka Albarn, clad in tight-fitting black jeans and a white v-neck shirt. Despite the bad lighting, he couldn't help but stare just a little longer than he should have: she didn't look half-bad. He strained his sight, trying to drink in more of her. Actually, she looked great. Honestly, she looked _hot, _especially with that scythe and— "Hey! Is that my shotgun? What the hell, Maka, that's _mine!_"

"_I know!_" Maka snapped, breaking her worried thoughts of him. If he had enough strength to bitch, he was just fine. She pointed at him using her scythe. "I'm borrowing it. Now shut up and—a-are you hurt bad?"

He managed a crooked grin. "Nothing I can't sleep off. You?"

"Same," she nodded, steeling her tone again. "Then try to free yourself! I'll take care of this thing while you do!"

"Don't kill yourself!"

"I should be telling _you_ that!" She shouted back, swallowing down anymore comments when the Kishin roared and barreled right towards her. She deflected a blow with her scythe and ran straight at it, relishing the freedom of being able to fight again.

Soul made a noise of distaste in the back of his throat at the idea of letting her fight alone but did as he was told, grimacing when his arms ached with the pain of holding his full weight for so long. He had only managed to make himself more uncomfortable when Yumi Azusa appeared in his peripheral, pale-faced and shaking. It gave him some satisfaction to see her so out of her element: that doctor had been a pain in his ass since they first met. Haughty, uptight, and strict, she reminded him of his tightass piano instructor when he was thirteen. And like his piano instructor, she usually got the full brunt of his sarcasm. But, unlike his piano instructor, she bit back. Hard.

"Th-that thing that's she's fighting...is it really a – ?"

"Kishin. Demon. They're interchangeable," Soul watched her grow paler, if possible. "Look, I know it looks crazy, but you're not imagining this. It's real, it can hurt you, and if we don't take care of it _now_, it'll continue to hurt more people. And probably kill us while it's at it."

"Crazy?" Yumi laughed, humorlessly. "Maka—she was telling the truth all along. We forced her to take all sorts of medication, we made her question her own reality…if I hadn't decided to let her find you, you could have _died_ because of me!"

"Don't sweat it, I don't expect everyone to believe that the monsters under their beds are real. Definitely not a licensed crazy doctor," Soul grunted when Yumi undid one of the chains. Her eyes ran down his bloody chest: he had definitely gotten into a scuffle with that thing, judging by the tears in his shirt and the crusted blood on his skin; nicks on his cheek, his neck. "You'll be alright. The important thing is I'm not dead," he managed a quick smirk at this before it was replaced with a grim line, "and the murders stop today." Soul snarled and dropped to the floor when Yumi finally undid the final chain, sucking in his groans when his arms seared with pain. His fingers dug into the skin of his shoulders and he rose, gradually shaking off the aches in his joints.

"What are you doing?" Yumi asked, hushed, when he moved away from her. "You're hurt! You shouldn't move around too much!"

"I'm fine. Maka! You alright – ?" He cringed when she shot him an acidic look, dodging another attack from the rabid beast. "…Yeah, you're fine… Hey, you, follow me!" Soul gestured to the dark hole she and Maka had walked through previously. "You need to get out, now!"

"But—!"

"It's dangerous, you'll get in the way if you stay!" Soul pushed her towards the veil of black she would need to wad her way through to reach the exit. "C'mon, move it!" Yumi felt as if she had spent years in that oppressive black before they made it to the mouth of the cave and Soul directed her to the car, ordering her to turn it on and await further instruction.

_Kishin's…they're real. They're real._

Yumi sat in the car, trembling, pale with the knowledge that Kishin's were very real and she had held a perfectly sane girl against her will in the psych ward. Other thoughts, frightening thoughts, began to arise. Just how many of those things roamed Death City, the country, the world? Just how many people had to die because Stein and she restrained Maka onto a bed when she shouted to be set free, when they believed she was hallucinating? The thought haunted Yumi and she almost didn't notice Maka holding up one limping Soul because of it.

She was only made aware of them when Soul slammed his palm on the hood of the car, hollering for her to wake the hell up and drive.

"The hospital?" Yumi offered, still numbed from the days events.

"Nope – my place. My place, _now_!" Soul strained, shutting his eyes. Yumi nervously glanced at the rear view mirror, only catching a glimpse of the blood running down Soul's shoulder and Maka staunching the wound with his jacket.

"Hospital!" Maka ordered, ignoring Soul's burning look. "Now, before he bleeds out!"

"I'm not gonna' bleed out, it's not as bad as it looks - _ow, sonofabitch! _Drive right, dammit, I'm wounded here!" Soul barked at Yumi, sucking back another whine when the car lurched.

"Suck it up! If you hadn't _thrown_ yourself in front of me like that we wouldn't be in this mess right now! _Why_ did you do that?" Yumi heard Maka hiss although her efforts to sound furious faltered with the worry that rushed her words. "What you did was so stupid, so reckless, why did you—?"

"_I_ did it cuz if I didn't, you'd be dead right now. I told you not to get yourself killed…I meant it."

"But that doesn't mean you had to go _throw yourself in front of me!_"

"Maka, later…when I'm conscious enough to _give_ a fuck."

"You're so stupid," Maka whispered, tremulously. Her fingers gripped his arm, her shaky breaths brushed his cheek. She was shaken up, probably because she never imagined him pulling such a shitty move. Perhaps Kishin's weren't the only ones with crap moves, Soul thought faintly. "You could have died."

"Still alive," Soul reminded weakly.

Yumi gave them privacy when she saw Maka lean her head against his, her hand holding his as tightly as she could.


	3. Chapter 3

**Loud Pipes  
>by. <strong>_Poisoned Scarlett_

Yumi wondered how she had missed it before as she stood by the door of the Stein's office, watching along with Maka as the doctor stitched Soul back up. The wound looked worse than it actually was with all the gore and mud that covered it. In reality, it had only been a clean cut down his shoulder blade. Stein had assured that it was nothing a few stitches and some painkillers couldn't fix but Maka still remained uneasy and worried. This was what brought Yumi back to her previous thoughts:

Maka had been reluctant to even_ let go_ of Soul once they arrived at the hospital. Yumi had to pry Maka's fingers off Soul's hand and lead her away from him once he got himself seated on the medical bed. Her deep concern for him was definitely suspicious and, judging by Stein's humored half-smile, the doctor had suspected this a long ago.

"Are you hurt, Maka?" Yumi asked, aware that Soul watched them intently after she did.

"I'm fine," Maka answered with a tiny smile. "Although I can't say the same for my boots." Both their eyes dropped down to her muddled, bloody and torn, boots. During her battle with the Kishin, one of its teeth must have caught on her strap for it was torn off. Her left boot had punctures in it and Yumi wrinkled her nose at the thought of what slop had gotten inside her shoe because of it.

"I should be charging you for this," Stein mused as he slipped off his gloves and tossed them in the nearest waste basket.

"You ain't getting squat from me, pal, take it up with Maka," Soul muttered but offered a meager thanks and grabbed his shirt. Maka stepped away from Yumi to help him put it on when she noticed his struggling. Once more Yumi wondered how she didn't see their obvious care for each other, as Maka whispered if it hurt and he quietly shook his head. She met Stein's gaze with a smile and ushered the both of them out of the doctors office so they could finally get some much-needed rest in their respective homes.

"Your boots are ripped up," Soul commented wryly as they walked out of the hospital. "You really liked those boots, huh? Better than any other pair you own."

"I'll live," Maka smiled up at him, somewhat flattered he remembered. "I can buy a new pair later."

"Well!" Yumi exclaimed, once they were on the front steps of the hospital. "I suppose you two will be…" Yumi cleared her throat. Stein merely smiled. Yumi instantly knew that couldn't be a good thing. When Stein smiled, destruction followed. "You two will be heading back to _your_ apartment now."

"_Our_ apartment?" Maka creased her brows at the odd statement. "I was actually planning on checking into a motel until I get my job back and I can pay for an apartment…"

"Oh but I thought you two lived together..." Yumi straightened. This certainly didn't go as planned. Had she misread them? That Patty girl had sounded quite sure when she told her that Soul and Maka were a couple. "I just assumed since you both…"

"No, we're…" Maka and Soul looked at each other simultaneously. She flushed a pretty red and Soul coughed into his fist. "_No!_ No, he's a wandering hunter! He heard about Death City's infamy and came here to check it out! _And_ get in my way," she added, moodily.

"_I_ got in _your_ way?"

"Yes, you did! If you had only left when I told you to, none of this would have happened!"

"If I hadn't stuck around, you'd be dead right now, stupid!"

"How strange," Stein airily interrupted then both. "He told me he was planning on _marrying_ you."

"And Patty, his friend, told me that you two were…a couple," Yumi added uncomfortably.

Soul stared at them furiously for ruining his cover and laughed nervously when Maka snapped her head to him, baffled. He flashed her a tense grin: "Surprise?"

"That – so _that's_ how you did it!" Maka gaped. "I've always wondered why they let you visit me for so long when you weren't even family! You _lied_ your way past Stein!"

"You make that sound like it's a _bad_ thing."

"It _is _a bad thing!"

"Well, what do you _suggest_ I'd have done?" Soul sighed, irately. "Tell him the truth? Yeah, look where that got you! I don't see what the big deal is – it was a _lie_, you idiot, like I'd ever marry you! Much less _date_ you!"

Maka's brows shot up in offense, feeling as if she'd just been slapped. But she recovered quickly. "That's _exactly_ why I have a problem with it, you dumbass! As if _I'd _ever date you – marrying someone like you isn't even a _thought_! You don't even _graze _my standards!"

Soul turned fully to her, lip curled in a sneer. That was a really low blow; it hit him right in the gut. "Don't get too cocky there, honey, you're not a lot to look at, either. I think Kansas has more curves than you!"

"_Excuse me, _like you should be talking! A rock can be attractive than you – in fact, there's no competition! Because at least a rock _looks _normal!"

"What're you trying to say, huh?"

"That the white hair and red eyes are just plain _CREEPY!_"

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK! THEY'RE COOL!"

"HA! AS IF! THEY'RE CREEPY - _YOU'RE_ CREEPY!"

Stein and Yumi exchanged meaningful looks as their infantile argument gradually worsened. Yumi contemplated interfering, if only because their argument was doing poorly at hiding their wounded prides from those looking in, when Stein patted her shoulder.

"They'll figure it out soon enough," Stein assured.

"Well, that's assuming. What if they don't?"

"Then I suppose it wasn't meant to be," Stein took off his glasses and cleaned them with the hem of his lab coat. "If they can't settle a simple argument like this now, what makes you think they'll be able to resolve a grave one in the future? It's best to let them sort it out on their own. They both have their own demons to work past, I'm sure..."

Yumi cringed when Maka brought her fist back and punched Soul squarely in the jaw, doing a marvelous job at sucking back her tears as she did. In speaking with Stein, Yumi had missed most of their argument. She wondered what cruelty Soul told her when Maka's boot collided with his stomach and she hoarsely shouted an obscenity at him; storming over to where they both stood.

"Miss Azusa," Maka cleared her throat, hiding her glossy eyes by looking down for a second. She smiled despite the obvious distress in her eyes, making them look more wide and wounded than usual. "Can you please give me a ride to my papa's place? My apartment, it was, um..."

"Yes, of course. No problem."

"Thank you," Maka smiled, gratefully.

"Maka! Maka, dammit!" Soul barked, crawling to his knees. He gripped his gut and took a breath, unable to deny she had a mean right hook. That kick, however, hardly held any power. She hadn't even tried to hurt him that time! "Where are you going? This isn't over!"

"Yes, it is!" Maka snarled, sending him a loathing look. "You finished what you came here for! Go back to where you came from – I can handle the rest! It's only been trouble since you came along!"

"You're not a walk in the park, either!"

Maka opened her mouth in a snarl but instead she snapped her jaw closed. She sent him the nastiest look she could muster (an effect slightly ruined by her watery eyes, something he noticed with a plunge of his stomach) and headed towards Yumi's car, ignoring Soul's suddenly frantic call of her name. Then she turned around and flipped him the bird with a roar of: "_YOU'RE A SHITHEAD!"_ and ran the rest of the way to the car.

Yumi looked at Stein. "She has quite the temper on her."

"She has a place in my hospital after all!" Stein beamed. "Anger Management. Perhaps I'll pencil her in for a session or two with Marie." He swung back toward Soul, who had only just managed to sit up straight without cringing. His hand gripped his wounded shoulder, not the developing bruise on his cheek. He was probably unaware of it, Stein surmised, as he stared after Maka. "Now, you. I take it you'll need a ride back as well?"

"I've got my bike here, I'll be fine!" Soul looked down his bandaged arm.

"You won't be able to use your motorcycle much after today, Soul."

"I know, I've got a car..." Soul muttered, patting his stomach in conflict. She could have caused a lot more pain than this if she had only swung a kick there but she hadn't. She'd gotten his stomach instead and not even all that hard. "Where she going?"

"Spirit's place," Stein informed. Soul creased a brow. "Her fathers—!"

"I know he's her father, I meant _why_. She hates that bastard."

"Well, she has been in our facility for the past three months, Soul, obviously her apartment has been vacated and rented to another person. She has nowhere to stay except with her father since you're no longer an option." Stein watched Soul pick himself up, dusting off some dirt and debris from his fall. He didn't look at him after he said that. "That looks like a nasty bruise on your cheek. Would you like a bag of ice for it?"

Soul watched Yumi drive away from the hospital, Maka in tow. "Yeah, thanks..."

"Follow me, then."

* * *

><p>She was aware that he was tailing her. He had been tailing her for the past two blocks, since she turned down Lexington avenue. He had been drinking some coffee in his car that morning; his idea of a good breakfast. She had to really push down the urge to smack her hand on the window and tell him to eat something filling, like a <em>full <em>breakfast with bacon and eggs and orange juice. But she managed to run past him without being too obvious in her staring. At least he had ditched the motorcycle for the car until he was better. He hardly drove the classic car, saying a motorcycle was obviously cooler. It was something which annoyed Maka since a car could be cool, too.

Her MP3 player was clutched tightly in her hand, music at full volume to drown out anymore thoughts of him. Her ponytail bobbed with every step and when she rounded the corner, she wasn't surprised that black Impala followed faithfully. If he was trying to catch her attention, there were other ways. Maka smugly wondered how long it would take him to muster up enough guts to stop her usual morning jog to apologize for being a total asshat three days ago.

Three days.

The man had absolutely no will for these things but, after that altercation between them, she had grimly believed he would just pack up and leave. She remembered once when he'd angered her by calling her out on her chest, commenting on its size _again_. Maka hadn't ever doubted her feminine assets until he swung around and started prodding at her insecurities like it was his job. She had practically kicked him out of her ward that day and ignored him when he came back a few hours later, bearing gifts.

In reality, he brought her a much-needed strawberry milkshake and although she had taken it, she had insisted he wasn't forgiven. But the crooked smile that graced his face, the strange sort of affection that flickered in his eyes, was what had crumbled her grudge. She never brought up the reason: she let him believe all it took was a strawberry milkshake. It was easier to deal with things like that if he didn't know the real reason. She, herself, hadn't quite understood her inclination to bend to his will until a few weeks later – when he nearly got into a motorcycle accident for being reckless again. He had turned left on incoming traffic and hadn't noticed the car. It only managed to graze his back wheel but the incident had shaken him, and left her feeling more paranoid for his safety outside of the hospital. That was when she insisted he buy a car (he had enough money to do so, given the exorbitant amount he charged per Kishin back in New York).

The car that was _still _following her.

He was lucky she wasn't the type to scare easy.

"Oh, hey, Maka! Maka!"

She admitted it: how quickly she had turned her attention to the voice was _ridiculous_. It was visible in the way disinterest dulled her eyes when she realized who it really was, not who she wanted it to be. Thankfully, he had been dusting something off his apron so he hadn't noticed she turned. Maka rose the volume in her MP3 and picked up speed, hoping she didn't look like she was outright ignoring him as she did.

Hiro was a very nice guy.

He was just annoying, that was all. The talk too much, laugh too much, happy too long sort of annoying that tired Maka after awhile. Currently, she wasn't up in the mood for his chipper attitude. But fate was never on her side about these things. And she was too nice to outright ignore him, anyway.

"MAKAAAA!"

Maka stopped, breathing hard, and pulled the earphones from her ears. She turned in a way that hid Soul from her view. She still hadn't composed a proper reply to whatever he would say: be it to apologize or be a jerk like usual. If it was the latter, a reply would come to her instantly. If it were the former, well, she could only hope she didn't say anything compromising.

"Hiro," Maka panted, watching him approach her. "Hi. What's wrong?"

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong! I just – just wanted to say, y'know, hi. And stuff. We haven't spoken in a while!" Hiro added with a laugh, scratching the back of his head. Maka stared, wondering if he was kidding or not.

"…Hi?" Maka repeated, puzzled. She had gotten her job back yesterday, what was he going on about? "Hiro, I just saw you yesterday. You work evening shift with me now, remember?"

Hiro blinked, as if he just remembered that. Maka would bet he did. "Oh! Yeah, but, uh, we don't talk often, y'know? You're always bar tending and Nygus' got me running back and forth! A-and, well, you were…_interned_ for a while. So it's hard to have a good conversation…" He set his hands on his hips, his smile looking a little plastic. Maka noticed he was perspiring. She turned fully, a brow creasing. Upon her piercing, calculative, wide-eyed, _adorable_, stare, Hiro started sweating even more.

"Something bothering you, Hiro?" Maka asked, never breaking contact. She was so intense, Hiro thought with a dreamy sigh, that was one thing he liked about her. Her stare, her every word, always so serious and intense and completely loveable. Some said she took things too seriously but Hiro thought that was just fine; a serious woman was a good woman. "It's not healthy to keep things inside."

"I—!" Hiro choked. He dropped his eyes and coughed into his fist, taking a breath. If he were to do this, he would do it right! "I just wanted to ask if you, ah-!"

"Hey, can we talk later? I have to take care of something," Maka suddenly said, looking past him. Hiro blinked, feeling his chance simply slip through his fingers like sand. Maka shifted her attention back to him and smiled, reassuringly. "I promise we'll talk. Just not now."

"Why not—?"

"Hey, Maka, can I talk to you for a sec?"

Hiro turned to face one sneering Soul Evans, his hands out of his pockets for once. He had seen him around town lately although he had never had the chance to speak to him face-to-face. Not that many people did; the man kept to himself and hardly spoke, from what he heard. And the women in the restaurant _always_ gossiped about him so it was hard not to know who he was despite never speaking to him. Suddenly, the urge to tell Maka to run away was overwhelming. The look in his garnet eyes, predatory and challenging, reflected instantly in Hiro's. His intentions were clear and Hiro wasn't deterred by his sarcastic smile. However, Maka complicated things.

"What for?" Maka bristled. "We have nothing to talk about!"

Soul sighed, ignoring Hiro. "C'mon, Maka. I'm no good with this, you know that."

"No good, huh? You can't say you're _sorry _for being a total jackass? Then I guess we really _have _nothing to talk about!"

"Maka, I didn't mean any of that!"

"Yes, you did! Don't lie to me, Soul Evans, if you're going to come clean then do it! Lying won't get you anywhere!"

"That's the thing – _I'm not lying!"_

"Yes, you are!"

"_No_, I'm not!" Soul groaned and rubbed is forehead. His eyes flicked to Hiro and his gaze darkened. "Can we talk somewhere more…_private?_"

"No. I'm fine here," Maka flatly said, crossing her arms. "Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of him, right?"

Soul grit his teeth but kept his mouth shut. He congratulated himself for his self-control; if anyone else had pulled a move like this on him, he'd have already burned them with his words. But this was Maka and he truly did feel terrible for all those things he said to her; the guilt tripled when he caught sight of her watery eyes. Maka already shed enough tears in the past; _he_ didn't need to be apart of the reason she was so miserable in this town.

"Uh, Maka?" Hiro cleared his throat, feeling awkward as the two of them had been staring intently at each other for the past minute and a half or so.

She finally looked at him, seeming to snap out of her daze. "Yes?"

"Are you…did you two..?" Hiro desperately hoped not but it was starting to seem that way.

Some of Maka's ire cleared to leave room for confusion. "Did we what?"

"Did you two…._are_ you two dating? If you are, I'm completely cool with it! I'm sure you two are…" Hiro faltered, bitter at the thought.

Maka gawked in disbelief. Soul just chuckled. Maka looked up at him and slit her eyes at the sound. Soul had the decency to pretend to look outraged when he noticed although he failed miserably, the satisfied twinkle in his eye both infuriating her and causing those flutters of butterflies in her gut. Those uncomfortable flutters, they were really starting to piss Maka off.

"NO!" Maka barked, viciously. "Why does everyone ask that? We're not! We never have been!" She turned on her heel and plugged her earphones back in her ears, fed up with this. She just wanted a calm jog. She didn't want to deal with this until noon, maybe. She just wanted a calm morning today. She ignored Hiro's sputters and only just heard Soul's sigh before she took off to complete her morning run. She made it to the end of the block when the light turned against her and she had to wait. She wasn't too surprised when Soul pulled up beside her.

"Maka…"

She tapped her foot.

"Maka!"

This light, it was taking forever to change!

"…I've got a milkshake I can't finish…"

Maka gnawed on her lip.

"I'm gonna' throw it out – all _thirty two_ ounces of it."

Maka dared to look at him – but only for a millisecond, only enough to catch sight of something pink and big and wonderfully full. Something that looked like a large, maybe a megashake. She regretted telling him just how much she loved those milkshakes, especially since she had yet to have one since her check-out practically three days ago.

"I guess I'll just have to throw it out. Too bad since it's the new _twister_ mix. Today's the last day to get it, too." Still nothing. "It'll be a waste." Nothing, not even a twitch. "I'm throwing it out now, _all_ of it is going on the asphalt - "

"What do you _want_, Soul?"

"Get in the car and the milkshake and explanation is all yours."

Maka hated how quickly she turned on her heel and pulled open the passenger door, snatching the drink from its cup holder and taking a long draw of it. He hadn't lied: he'd gotten the biggest one and the newest twist they had out. She hadn't gotten to tasting it yet and he was right, today was the last day. That's what assuaged her enough to take another long sip of the drink. Once she got her fill did she guiltily glare down at the cup and when she looked up, she felt pink dust her cheeks when she found him turned away: hand covering his mouth, shoulders shaking with mirth.

"Alright, explain."

Soul veered to the side, parking. He leaned back in his seat, giving himself a moment to remember the things he'd say once he got her to hear him out. Unsurprisingly, his mind blanked and most of those things became smoke in the field. This is what he hated about confrontations: his script was always lost when it came to it.

"Sorry." Soul inwardly smacked himself. Just how unoriginal could he be? He needed to beef that up somehow. "I was being a dick. I was… tired. I was beaten up and hung from the ceiling for half a day, I wasn't in the best of moods!" Before Maka could reply, Soul held up a finger. "But that doesn't excuse my behavior…I know. You just pissed me off a bit."

"A bit?"

"Would it _really _be that bad to date me?" Soul turned to her, eyes hard. "Seriously?"

Maka stiffened. She held the cup of her favorite pastime drink on her lap and dropped her eyes to it when she answered. "No – but you started it!"

"_Me_—? Alright, yeah, I started it!" Soul grunted, irritably. Maka huffed. "So that wasn't necessary, I get it, it just came out. You looked like you were gonna' bite my head off, I had to do something!"

"…So you decide to _insult_ me? You're a genius, Soul."

"Shut it," Soul growled. He sighed when she narrowed her eyes at him, taking a good long draw of her drink to put out her rising ire. "If it isn't obvious by now, I didn't mean it. It wouldn't be bad to marry you – hell, you'd probably make a good wife. You know what you want, you're responsible, hey, I'll come clean, you're hot. You've got it all wrapped up in a tiny…_violent_…nerdy…amazing…box."

Maka stared at her drink. Her heart was pounding in her ears. She was sure that was supposed to be some sort of confession but she was at a loss as to what to do about it. She could hunt, she could bartend, she could ace tests and she could study like it was nobody's business – but this, handling these situations, this was one of the few things she constantly stumbled through. She would rather be hunting down a Kishin, Maka dryly thought, than trying to compose a reply to his veiled confession.

"I guess," Maka began. She distracted herself with the straw. "Although you're a lazy, stupid, reckless jackass with a weird cool ideology and an even weirder fashion sense…"

"Gee, thanks, Maka. Notice how I _didn't _insult you when it was my turn!"

"…You're pretty amazing yourself. You took a blow for me. You kept your promise when you said you'd visit me every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. You somehow managed to talk to me for longer than ten minutes and you even bothered to remember all the stupid stories I told you about. You also put up with my temper, not many people can do that. You aren't creepy," Maka admitted, smiling warmly when he grumbled that he damn straight wasn't. "I _guess_ you're not half-bad looking, either..." At his skeptical look, she huffed out a small breath of laughter. "But you have a will as strong as play-doh."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that when you feel guilty, you don't last even a week. But this time I did expect you to leave that night," Maka admitted. She didn't need to look to know he was staring at her with disappointment. "I _still_ expect you to leave."

"I'm not gonna' leave."

"Why not?" Maka asked, exhaling deeply. "You came here to confirm the rumors about Death City being a hot spot for Kishin's. They turned out to be true. But DC has a hunter already, and I've taken care of these parts for the past….six years. Since I was fourteen and I learned my mom was in the business before she met my idiot father. DC is a small town, it doesn't need two hunters," Maka finally looked at him. "So why would you stay? No one even _pays_ here. I do it more for my own gratification than money. You do it for the money; it's practically your income."

"That's where you're wrong. I do it because I can save people. I do it out of the same reasons you do," he smiled crookedly when she searched his eyes. "Just, back in New York, they offered cash and who am I to turn them down?"

Maka stifled giggles. "You're terrible."

"I still got a good half mil out of them," Soul drawled. "You can't say you wouldn't do the same."

"I wouldn't," Maka looked at him, seriously. He faltered, unsure of how to proceed, when she smiled knowingly. "I'd ask for _more _than eight hundred per Kishin. More like ten grand or nothing; this is a dangerous job! You're too cheap, Soul."

Soul laughed outright and Maka joined him. Maka shook her cup after her laughter died, feeling lighter than she had felt since their fight. "Hey, let's swing by Scoops. I want another one."

"You haven't even finished that one!"

"_If_ you're going to buy your way back into my good graces," Maka shook the cup in his face mockingly, "you're going to need more than one thirty two, Soul."

Soul chuckled, looking down at his lap to hide his affectionate smile. "Alright, fine. But you'll ruin all that running you did."

"There's always tomorrow," Maka optimistically replied. She paused before deciding it wouldn't hurt to ask: "By the way, Soul?"

"Hn?"

"You never told me why haven't you left yet."

"Ain't it obvious already? DC has the best milkshakes I've ever had!" Soul grinned, wolfishly.

Maka snorted but didn't press the question, finishing the last bit of her milkshake.

"I might also like a girl," Soul added, casually.

Maka almost choked on her drink. "Oh.."

"Yeah, I never though it'd happen, either. But she gets me, she gets me in a way others haven't. It's like she's been there all this time, studying me. She can read me like a book, it isn't even funny. She doesn't make it easy for me, either, but it's hard not to love her. But she likes pushing people away; it took me a lot of prying to get her to open up to me about her dumb dad. Even then, it's gonna' take a lot more than a couple of moments to get her to trust me completely. Leaving would mean abandoning her after I promised I _wouldn't_, and breaking promises isn't cool. I'm not about to let all that progress go to waste," Soul glanced at her then gunned the car back to life. He smiled, lopsidedly. "'Sides, someone has to look after her. She's been looking after herself for too long."

"…._Thank you,"_ Maka whispered, so quietly she was sure he hadn't heard. But he had, because he always heard her. Even when she didn't say anything, he still heard her.

He reached over to pat her head, his hand sliding down to the back of her neck. He gave it a reassuring squeeze before he placed his hand back on the wheel. "You should try the mango shake. It's not half bad, if you can get over the weird aftertaste."

Maka laughed, softly. "I'll try it right now!"

Soul looked at her from the corner of his eye, turning his attention back to the street with a smile.

He figured he was forgiven now.


End file.
